Kuala lumpur: The rhythmic clanking of pestles hitting wooden mortars greeted our arrival in Kampung Gintong, enhancing the festive-like atmosphere filled with cheerful chatter from villagers and visitors alike. Curious about the activity, we were told the villagers were mengemping padi (flaking paddy) – a long-standing tradition passed down through generations, carried out every paddy harvesting season.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, emping paddy is a type of traditional snack, perhaps unfamiliar to today’s younger generation. It is made from young or semi-mature rice grains and typically served as an afternoon treat. For the residents of Kampung Gintong, located about 21 kilometres from the town of Jerantut, the mengemping tradition is a much-anticipated event, especially among the older generation. It’s a time for communal cooperation to produce this delicacy while also strengthening social bonds.
Beyond that, side activities are also held to attract the younger crowd and children, such as fishing competitions in irrigation canals, traditional games, and mud play in the paddy fields. Luck was on our side – participants of the 2025 Water Source Expedition (EKSAN) to the Pahang River Basin organised by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) – as we happened to witness a fading cultural heritage activity of the Malay farming community.
EKSAN 2025, involving 100 participants from various government agencies including institutions of higher learning, marks the seventh edition of the programme aimed at raising awareness on water conservation under the development of the National Water Balance Management System (NAWABS) led by JPS. Held from June 30 to July 2, EKSAN 2025 brought participants to several key locations within the Pahang River Basin, the main water source for the state.
Every year, when the harvesting season arrives between May and July, housewife Hariani Zakaria, 62, never misses the chance to continue the tradition of making emping using rice harvested from about 200 hectares of paddy fields, the village’s main source of income. She said the flaking activity is a must and is carried out communally by the villagers after the harvest, especially when there are visitors such as school or corporate groups, adding to the village’s tourism appeal.
Kampung Gintong’s Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) Chairman, Shahrulwizam Harun, said the mengemping activity has now become an annual event to attract visitors from within and outside the district to witness the process and introduce the tradition to the younger generation. ‘It should be developed as an eco-tourism product in Kampung Gintong because it not only promotes this ancestral tradition to tourists, but also allows them to experience village life and community spirit,’ he said.
Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Dr Mohd Sofiyan Sulaiman, said that aside from water levels, water pH (acidity or alkalinity), salinity, and heavy metal content are three critical factors that can affect rice yields. ‘Too acidic pH, salty water, and heavy metals accumulating in the soil can reduce yields-commonly linked to water pollution, particularly during dry spells,’ he explained. The JPS and the Department of Environment (DOE) usually monitor these three water quality factors by collecting composite samples from several locations along the river, at depths of at least 0.5 metres below the surface.